


Diapers and Beloved Nap Time- Bucky Barnes

by Alph_a



Category: Bucky - Fandom, Captain America (Movies), James Buchanan Barnes - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avenger baby, Babysitting, Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 11:52:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7531717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alph_a/pseuds/Alph_a
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When all of the other Avengers are off on a mission, Bucky is left to watch Y/n's baby on his own. In order to take care of the small child, the Winter Soldier must overcome the fear of his own strength, and figure out how to calm a crying baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diapers and Beloved Nap Time- Bucky Barnes

"I don't know about this, Steve," Bucky murmurs nervously, watching the small child as she plays on the floor with her toys, babbling quietly to herself. "Are you sure?"

Steve looks at Bucky reassuringly, and he puts a supportive hand on his shoulder briefly. "I'm sure Buck. You'll be fine, trust me."

Bucky sighs when his best friend walks into the Nursery, not giving him the chance to protest, or back down from the very important job he has been assigned.  
Unlike his fellow Avengers that get to go out and complete their missions, he has to stay put in the Avengers tower - as a part of his probation - and babysit. However, it isn't just any baby.  
It's Y/n's little girl. With that being said, Bucky feels even more pressure to not screw up, and the thought of anything happening to her terrifies him.

"Besides," Steve shouts from the other room. "She likes you. Her face lights up whenever you're in the room." He returns moments later, with a bottle in hand.

Bucky's chest lifts and falls heavily, managing a small smile at the thought, despite the nerves. 

"There you go," Steve coos to the little girl, picking her up and offering her a bottle. She sits perfectly in his broad arms, nestled in like the delicate being she is. "She will need a bottle at noon, but she should be alright until then. Y/n will be back late to take her off your hands."

All Bucky can do is nod, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He watches as the baby drinks her bottle happily, leaning on Steve's chest. 

Steve bounces her gently as he walks over to her crib, and he leaves a soft kiss to her forehead. "You be good for Bucky, alright? No funny business miss," he teases, setting her down carefully. 

She gives him a toothless grin, before busying herself with the bottle once more. 

Steve places a hand on top of her head as his way of saying goodbye, then he turns to Bucky who looks lost, and raises his brows. "Can you handle this on your own?" 

"I-" 

Just before Bucky can declare how far this is from being a good idea, a signal beeps in Steve's ear, and he presses the speaker with his index finger. 

"I'm on my way," he says moments later, pressing the button again and heading straight for the elevator.

"I gotta go, Buck. You'll be fine, she's a good kid," Steve promises, noting the doubtful look on his pal's face. As the door opens, he steps inside, and gives Bucky a salute before the heavy elevator door closes. 

Bucky groans once Steve - the one whom looks after the baby the most - is gone, running a hand over his face. 

What is he supposed to do when the baby has to be picked up? He couldn't possibly hold her little and fragile frame, not with his arm. That's basically a death trap. He's never rocked a baby to sleep, or changed a diaper for that matter. Sure he has seen Steve and Y/n change her diaper numerous times- but this is different. He will actually have to _do_ it.

"I can't take care of a baby," Bucky whispers to himself, ready to dig his cell phone out of his pocket to call Y/n, but he stops suddenly. 

Y/n.

If Bucky called her, it could completely blow her whole undercover mission and it would be his fault entirely. Also, if he backed out of simply watching her daughter, then how could she ever trust him to be around? Why would she ever consider being something more to him if he couldn't even be relied on to do something as simple as babysitting?

Bucky drops the phone back in his pocket, and sighs, looking up at the crib across the room. 

Tony had completely transformed the space for Y/n to take care of her child in the most convenient ways possible, to make it easier on a single mother. Thus, there is an adjustable crib in both her nursery and living room, along with her own bedroom. Since the kitchen is several floors down from her own, a fridge was installed to hold her baby food and formula. Bucky remembers how thankful she was to find the space renovated, and it took a lot of the load off of her shoulders. 

Bucky hopes that she'll be just as appreciative when she comes home to find her daughter safe and sound, thanks to him. Maybe even more. 

The small child looks over at him, and just as Steve promised, a wide grin takes shape on her little face. 

Bucky can't help but chuckle a little, watching as she picks up one of her many bears and holds it close. She's cute- he'll admit that. 

The super soldier makes his way to the couch and slumps into the cushions, taking a quick glance over to see that she isn't in trouble. But there she is, sitting peacefully amongst her bears and other stuffed animals. 

Minutes pass by before Bucky decides to turn the television on. He's unable to engross himself in the programs, since he's too busy looking back at the baby almost every two minutes, just in case if she happens to somehow escape her crib. 

By the time twenty minutes pass, Bucky's nerves settle slightly once he sees her rubbing her eyes, and yawning tiredly. Then eventually, she lies back and closes her eyes to fall into a deep slumber. 

Bucky furrows his brows and notes how quickly she falls asleep. "How could you be tired already?' He murmurs under his breath, looking at the clock to see that its only 10am. After all, she had only played with a few toys and had a bottle. 

Bucky shrugs it off, thankful that her nap time can put as much distance between her and his dormant strength as possible.

* * *

 

Bucky freezes up the second he hears it- the sound of an upset baby. 

He meekly lifts his head from the back of the couch, his long tresses taking a second to catch up with his movement. He sneaks a look to see her sat on her bum, holding the gate of her crib with tears brimming her eyes. 

Bucky tenses, and protests on the inside, so badly wanting someone else to fill in. He has to figure out what she needs, which requires picking her up, and picking her up means putting her in danger. 

When the crying gets louder, setting off alarms to ring in his head, Bucky forces himself up, and he hesitantly walks towards her crib. He holds his hands out, palms towards her as if she's a dog on the street. 

"There, there," he says awkwardly, about a foot away. 

The baby's crying eases up when she sees him, anticipating some much needed attention. She reaches out towards him, hinting that she wants up. 

Bucky cringes, so far out of his comfort zone just thinking about handling a baby. He would have no problem babysitting if he was the old James Buchanan Barnes, but he's not anymore. Now he's just a twisted and manipulated version of a good man, with the ability to kill anything at any given moment. 

Bucky closes his eyes, putting his hands on the crib, trying to force the thoughts out of his head. 

"Steve told me that's not who I am," Bucky whispers, feeling his head begin to ache due to how hard he's fighting the dark thoughts filled with self hatred. "I'm not a killer." 

The distressed brunette suddenly opens his eyes, just as he feels a gentle hand grasp aimlessly at his arm. He stares at her, taking her in completely. 

How could such an innocent little child not suspect that he was dangerous? Why would she want anything to do with him? If only she knew what he had done. 

While being attacked by so many different thoughts and fighting off the bad ones, Bucky can't help but cave in, and give her a sad little smile. 

"You're harmless, aren't you?" Bucky murmurs, watching as she clings to his arms, her eyes still red from the threatening tears. "You're so small, I dont- I don't know if I can-..." 

Bucky trails off, so many different emotions tugging at his heart. She needs nurturing, but he's _him._ He's a big, dangerous monster. 

And she's so unaware as she traces her little fingers down his metallic arm, pursing her lips as she plays. 

Bucky's breath hitches and he pulls away, eyes widening. 

 _The most dangerous part of me_ , he thinks to himself, quickly rolling his sleeves back down all the way, rather than at the three quarter position. 

When the little girl realizes that he has taken it away from her, her eyes widen and swell with tears, while her face turns a bright pink colour. 

The unseen force of her cry hits him like a wall, and he feels the anxious and alarming sensation all over again. 

Unable to handle hearing and seeing her cry, Bucky swoops in, and gently lifts her up from under her arms like Steve had shown him. He slowly brings her close to him, but she senses his anxiety, and cries even harder. 

Bucky grimaces, wanting the crying to stop. He doesn't understand- usually whenever Steve or Y/n picks her up, she stops immediately. What is he doing wrong? 

"W-what do you need?" Bucky asks stupidly, standing uncomfortably in the living room, with a crying baby in his arms. He glances around the room, looking for something to answer his question. 

When his eyes land on the clock, his eyebrows raise in realization, and he hurries over to the fridge where he finds the tin of formula on top. 

He quickly grabs the formula and sets it down on the counter, then he grabs the nearest bottle and puts it down as well. 

Bucky pauses for a moment and eyes up the tin, he looks at the baby, then back at the formula again. "How do I do this?" 

He releases a sound of frustration mixed with anxiety, and he gently places the baby down on the floor to free his hands. But the second he lets go of her, she cries louder, reaching for his contact again. 

"I'm sorry!" Bucky cries out, facing his task at hand. A sense of panic falls over him when he realizes that he doesn't even know how much to give her, and what the exact formula-to-water ratio is. 

Finding no other rational way to solve his problem, he whips out his phone, and sends a very scared text to Steve.

**Bucky: How much formula??**

**Steve: One scoop, and fill it to the line with water. There's a booklet in the can, Buck.**

**Bucky: Oh okay, thanks.**

Bucky sighs in relief, but also mentally curses himself for not checking before going to his second last resort- Y/n being the final.

"Please stop crying," he begs the child, the sound making his ears ring.

As fast as he can, Bucky takes off the lid, dishes out one scoop and fills the bottle to the line with water, just as he was instructed. He gives it a shake, then hands it to the small, riled up child on the floor.

But when she gets the bottle, she hits it to the side, still holding her arms up to him and wails.

"What?!" Bucky seethes, feeling the urge to pull his hair out. He wonders how Y/n deals with this on a daily basis, but then he realizes why she is always so exhausted. 

"Alright, alright," he mutters, picking the baby and the bottle up in the process. 

Bucky's tense shoulders relax when her crying immediately stops, once she feels the comfort of his body close to hers. She lifts the bottle slightly and drinks as if she wasn't just crying moments ago. 

Bucky releases a deep breath, and walks her back into the living room where he sits down on the couch, cradling her gently, with his flesh arm of course. 

Once the baby settles down at relaxes with the nib of the bottle in her mouth, she gazes at Bucky with her big eyes, looking at him like he's the only person left in the world. It makes him suddenly feel important, and it makes his heart swell. 

"You aren't so bad," Bucky says quietly, helping to support the bottle for her. 

Just looking down at her, this vulnerable little baby in his arms that trusts him to take care of her, Bucky begins to warm up to the idea. But even deeper, he feels proud of himself for being able to conquer the fear of himself and what he's capable of. Even someone who has done the things he has, can still feel the warmth of a child's admiration. 

Bucky swipes at the corner of his eyes, feeling the emotions bubbling up inside of him. 

Maybe he can come back from his past. 

 

When the little girl is done with the bottle, she grasps onto Bucky's shirt, and uses her strength to pull herself up far enough to play with his hair. 

Bucky laughs quietly as she moves her fingers within his tresses, babbling away. She pulls gently on strands, but also tugs harder on certain ones, earning herself mumbles in protest. 

When she no longer finds his hair to be amusing, she sits herself down on his stomach, and puts her hand over his cheek gently. 

Bucky looks at her, with a new appreciation for her in his bright blue eyes. He offers her a fond smile, and she does the same, giving him a muffled giggle- something she hasn't quite mastered yet. 

* * *

 

 

Bucky wipes the light sheen of sweat away from his forehead, and he releases the deep breath once the smell has gone away. He pulls on a strap, and brings it to the middle of the diaper, then he does the same with the other until the diaper is safely secured. 

"You couldn't have saved that for your mom?" Bucky sighs, dropping the dirty diaper into the garbage deposit on the wall- another Stark idea. 

The baby just gurgles, happily laying down on the change table with a fresh diaper on. She pulls at one of the other clean ones and plays with it while her babysitter grabs her small pair of pants. 

Bucky rolls them up slightly, and puts one of her legs through, and reaches for the next one. To his dismay, she kicks her leg free, throwing his progress out the window. 

"You little punk," Bucky chuckles, slipping her pants on while she plays, now uninterested in raising a stink about having to put her bottoms back on. 

Once Bucky is all done, he sets her down on the floor, and watches as she crawls over to her nearest toys. She smiles with joy, using her little hands to pick up, slide, shake, and whatever else with her things, not leaving a single one unturned. 

As Bucky watches her entertain herself, he realizes that being a parent wouldn't be so bad, but with help of course. No wonder Steve and the others love being around her.

Now that he thinks about it, Bucky has never talked to his best friend about being a dad, and he never considered whether or not it is something Steve would like to be. By the looks of it, he would make a great father. 

Perhaps Bucky could one day. But for now, he'll take spending time with the one right in front of himself. 

* * *

 

She walks into the room, exhausted and absolutely craving head to pillow contact. She places her things on the counter, yawning as she does so. 

Her eyes scan the place that looks like a tsunami went through, but a tired smile settles on her face when she sees Bucky fast asleep on the couch, with her daughter nestled between his side and his arm. She quietly walks over, hoping not to wake him from his slumber. 

But his eyelashes flutter open when she crosses his vision, and he comes to with a slight shake. 

"Hey, Bucky," she whispers with a smile. Even when she's worn out and in dire need of sleep, she still somehow looks beautiful. 

Bucky goes to get up, but he feels a gentle hand on his chest and hears her sweet voice in his ear. 

"Sh, Buck. Go back to sleep, I'll put her to bed," she murmurs, gently picking up her baby without rousing her. The space beside him suddenly feels empty without the small child there to occupy it. 

He dozes in and out of consciousness, tossing between thinking and dreaming about the day he had with the baby. 

After a few minutes pass, a blanket is draped over his body, one that feels heavy and soft. It comforts him, and it lulls him back towards the dark, sleepy state. 

Bucky feels a soft tingle on his cheek, and he subconsciously registers it as a kiss of gratitude. 

"Thank you, Bucky," she whispers finally, tucking him in and sending him on his way to a blissful sleep, accompanied by the thoughts of diapers and beloved nap time.

 


End file.
